Means for attaching tubes to headers, chambers, and the like



H. P. BRAY.

MEANS FOR ATTACHING TUBES T0 HEADERS, CHAMBERS, AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATIQH FILED MAY 25. I920.

Patented July 11%, 1921..

IINVENTOR fif ray BY k ATTORNEY UNITED" STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Emma-r rams many, or mums; ENGLAND.

MEANS FOR ATTACHING TUBES T0 HEADERS, CHAMBERS, AND THE LIKE.

Application flied May as,

To all whomit may concern.

Be it known that l[, HERBERT PAINE BRAY, a subject of His Majesty the King of England, and resident of lmner in the county of Middlesex, Kingdom of lEngland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in or Connected with Means for Attaching Tubes to Headers, Chambers, and the like, for which I have filed an application in England, April 8, 1919, of which the following 1s a specification.

This invention relates to means for attaching steam superheating tubes, water tubes, and the like to headers, chambers, and the like in superheaters, boilers and the like.

The invention refers to attaching means of the kind in which the ends of the tubes are connected to plates or flange blocks which are in turn detachably secured by means of screw-bolts to the steam headers,

, chambers, collectors, or the like, and means I another.

are provided to permit rocking movement of the bolts, plates or blocks, and tubes relatively to the-headers or the like and to one In one construction of such at? taching means it has been proposed to retain the heads of the bolts within holes in the headers or the like by means of bushings screwed into the latter, and to form spherical cooperating surfaces on said bolt heads and bushings, and, in other constructions, to expand or enlar e the ends of the tubes and form them spherical to cooperate with spherical surfaces on the plates or flange blocks.

In the attaching means provided by the present invention the parts are of improved construction, and according to said inven-- tion the heads of the bolts are of barrel, spherical or similar shape and rotatably and slidably seated within cylindrical slots formed in the headers-or the like; the ends of the tubes or the like are. expanded and formed with curved surfaces, and the holes formed in the plates or flange blocks to receive said tube ends are enlar ed to form seatings intermediate their en s for cotiperation with the said expanded curved surfaces of the tube ends.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, in

which Figure 1 is a fra entary sectional elevation, showin the'lnvention carried out in connection with a steam superheater, and

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation,

Specification or Letters Patent.

Patented July 19, 1921. 1920. serial no. 384,240.

partly in section, of the construction shown 1n Fig. l.

In carrying out the invention, the ends of the tubes at, a are connected to plates or flange blocks such as b which are in turn detachably secured by means of screw-bolts 0 and nuts d to a steam header, chamber, collector or the like 6. The heads f of the bolts fit in slots 9 arranged outside of the, fluid spaces It in the header, chamber, col lector or the like and the ends of the tubes at communicate with said spaces through apertures 2'. The wall of the header 6 preferably has a bulge inwardly where the slot 9 is provided.

The engagement of the bolts c/ with the header, chamber, collector or the like e is such that a slight rockin or universal movement of said bolts relatively to said header is provided for, and for this purpose the slot 9 is cylindrical and the head f of the bolt 0 is of barrel shape, so that said head can swivel in all directions within said slot and allow the plate or flange block b and the tubes a to move relatively to the header e.

The shank of the bolt 0 passes throu h a slot 7' communicating with the slot 9. l ing the manufacture of the parts a hole is simply drilled in the header or the like to form the slot 9 and then the slot 3' is formed in the header or the like bymeans of a slotting or shaping machine. These operations are much easier and cheaper than those necessary when-forming dovetail slots in the header or the like in a manner which has heretofore been adopted.

Means are provided to allow for rocking or universal movement of the ends of the tubes within and relatively to the plate or flange block b without said ends being displaced from said plate or block. For this purpose the tube ends are enlarged and formed with curved surfaces 70' by being ex pended, as at 70, and the perforations formed in the plate or block to receive the tube ends are enlarged as at Z, to rovide comparatively narrow seatings m intermediate their ends for contact with the tubeends and to form clearances above and below said seat- 15 'bolts sliding along and out of the slots g and-j in known manner. Reversely, when The extremities .ofthe ends of the tubes bridge the a n formed between the plates or flange bFoc b and the header, chamber, collector or the like, and seat within 0 formed in the latter'and against indie rubber, asbestos, leather, copper, or other the parts are assembled and the nuts d are screwed up tight the ends of the tubes are tightly pressed against the packmg or washers p to rovide fluid-tight joints at these the tubes or the like relativelytothe headers,

points. e universal movement of chambers, collectors or the like adequately allows for unequal expansion and contraction of the various parts. Leakage of fluid between the ends of the tubes and the headers, chambers, collectors, or the like is positively prevented. The machining necessar when manufacturing the su r eaters, boilers or the like is greatly simp ified, thus economizing the cost of production of the same.

What I claim is I 1. In combination, a block having a central passagewa a fluid containerhav' a slot in the w l but out of communication with the fluid space, said slot being circular in cross section, a second slotextending longitudinally with thefirst slot and opening thereinto tures in the wall of the container, recesses countersunk in sai'dapertures on the same side of the container as the second slot, a

a packing ring seated in each recess, tubes aving expanded ends received within the recesses and abutted against said packing rings, said block having perforations for reand opening t ereinto ut ha ut hay ing a width less than thediameter of the first slot, a plurality of aperthe bolt holding the block to the and the tube ends spacing the inner face of the block gainer, whereby the tubes can move rel 1V6 move relative to the container under the influences of expansion and contraction.

2. In combination a block having a central 'assagewa a uid container having. a slot in the w l but out of communication with the fluid space, said slot being aubstan tially circular in cross section, a second slot to the container while the block can from the outer side of'the con extending lon 'tudinall with the first slot.

a width less than the diameter of the. first ot, a plurality of apertures in the wall offthe. con- .tamer at each side of the slots, tubes having expanded ends received. within the epertures, said block having perforations for receiving said tubes, a seat provided intermediate the ends "of each perforation against which seat therounded face of the expanded tube end may bear, said seat circular and of less diameter than the perforation,

and a bolt passed through the centralpassagewa of the block wit its head e container and independently of the block while the block can move relatively to the,

container'independently of the tubes under the influences of expansion and contraction. In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name.

HERBERT rams BRAY.,

d. a in the. rst slot and its shank loosely tt g 

